Ministry of Justice

Prison Officers: Recruitment

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what additional funding was allocated for the recruitment of additional prison officers his Department’s 2019-20 Main Estimate Memorandum.

Lucy Frazer: Since October 2016 we have recruited over 4,700 additional prison officers with extra funding provided by the Treasury for 2,500 of these. While no further funding has been specifically provided for this purpose in 2019/20 by the Treasury, prison officer recruitment continues and is being funded from the Prison Service budget in 2019/20.

Prison Officers: Recruitment

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 30 July 2019 to Question 280425, whether funding for the additional prison officers recruited is from (a) existing funding from his Department or (b) additional funding from the public purse.

Lucy Frazer: Additional funding announced by the Secretary of State in November 2016, for an additional 2,500 prison officer posts, was agreed with HM Treasury as part of the Autumn Statement 2016.